Patents by Inventor Takeaki Suzuki

Takeaki Suzuki has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9656670
    Abstract: A running control device of a vehicle includes an engine, a connecting/disconnecting device separating the engine and wheels, and a transmission transmitting power of the engine toward the wheels, the running control device being configured to execute a normal running-mode performed by using the power of the engine with the engine and the wheels coupled, a free-run inertia running-mode that is performed by separating the engine and the wheels and stopping the engine during running, and a neutral inertia running-mode that is a performed by separating the engine and the wheels and operating the engine in a self-sustaining manner during running, the running control device setting a gear ratio of the transmission on a low vehicle speed side in the case of return from the free-run inertia running-mode to the normal running-mode as compared to the case of return from the neutral inertia running-mode to the normal running-mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takeaki Suzuki, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9656676
    Abstract: A running control device of a vehicle including an engine, a connecting/disconnecting device separating the engine and wheels, and a transmission transmitting power of the engine toward the wheels, the running control device of a vehicle being configured to execute a normal running mode performed by using the power of the engine with the engine and the wheels coupled, a free-run inertia running mode that is an inertia running mode performed by separating the engine and the wheels and stopping the engine during running, and a neutral inertia running mode that is an inertia running mode performed by separating the engine and the wheels and operating the engine in a self-sustaining manner during running, the running control device of a vehicle setting a gear ratio of the transmission on a high vehicle speed side in the case of return from the free-run inertia running mode to the normal running mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takeaki Suzuki, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9650046
    Abstract: A running control device of a vehicle includes an engine, a clutch separating the engine and wheels, and a torque converter with a lockup clutch transmitting power of the engine toward the wheels, the running control device of a vehicle is configured to execute a neutral inertia running mode that is an inertia running mode performed while the engine and the wheels are separated and a cylinder resting inertia running mode performed by stopping operation in at least some of cylinders of the engine while the engine and the wheels are coupled, the lockup clutch has a weak engagement force while the neutral inertia running mode is performed as compared to while the cylinder resting inertia running mode is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Jonggap Kim, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takeaki Suzuki, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9623870
    Abstract: A running control device of a vehicle includes an engine and a brake booster amplifying a brake force by forming a negative pressure in a negative pressure tank by rotation of the engine. The running control device is configured to execute an engine brake running mode performed with the engine coupled to wheels such that an engine brake is applied by driven rotation of the engine and an inertia running mode performed with an engine brake force made lower than that of the engine brake running mode. The running control device executes a first inertia running mode performed with the rotation of the engine stopped and a second inertia running mode performed with the engine kept rotating as the inertia running mode in accordance with predefined respective execution conditions. The running control device comprises a prediction portion configured to predict a necessity of the negative pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takeaki Suzuki, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9598082
    Abstract: In consideration of an amplification effect of a braking force at the time of brake operation, upper-limits (?, ?) of a brake operation force (Brk) with which the execution of free-run coasting and neutral coasting is started may be different, on the basis of whether or not a brake booster can be filled with a negative pressure. Therefore, while the braking force at the time of brake operation is secured, the range of the brake operation force (Brk) with which coasting is executed can be enlarged, and an improvement in fuel economy can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takeaki Suzuki, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9598083
    Abstract: A controller is capable of controlling a coupled engine running mode, in which an engine is coupled to wheels and an engine brake is activated by driven rotation of the engine, and a coasting mode, in which an engine brake force is reduced with respect to that in the coupled engine running mode with mode with the engine brake on, and starts the coasting mode on the basis of the steering angle of a steering member. The controller starts the execution of a first coasting mode when the steering angle is equal to or less than a preset upper limit value and starts the execution of a second coasting mode when the steering angle is greater than the upper limit value. In the first coasting mode, the engine rotation is stopped, and in the second coasting mode, the engine remains rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeaki Suzuki, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9598084
    Abstract: A running control device of a vehicle executes a normal running mode with an engine coupled to drive wheels, a first inertia running mode with the engine stopped during running and an engine brake force reduced as compared to the normal running mode, and a second inertia running mode with the engine rotating during running and the engine brake force reduced as compared to the normal running mode. A determining portion determines a necessity of a brake negative pressure during the first or second inertia running mode. The necessity of the brake negative pressure is a condition for returning from the first inertia running mode and the second inertia running mode to the normal running mode. An upper limit value of the necessity of the brake negative pressure for returning from the first inertia running mode is smaller than that for returning from the second inertia running mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takeaki Suzuki, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9561799
    Abstract: A controller is capable of controlling a coupled engine running mode, in which an engine is coupled to wheels and an engine brake is activated by driven rotation of the engine, and a coasting mode, in which an engine brake force is reduced with respect to that in the coupled engine running mode with mode with the engine brake on, and starts the coasting mode on the basis of the steering angle of a steering member. The controller starts the execution of a first coasting mode when the steering angle is equal to or less than a preset upper limit value and starts the execution of a second coasting mode when the steering angle is greater than the upper limit value. In the first coasting mode, the engine rotation is stopped, and in the second coasting mode, the engine remains rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeaki Suzuki, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9446767
    Abstract: A running control device of a vehicle includes an engine with a plurality of cylinders, and a clutch connecting/disconnecting a power transmission path between the engine and wheels, the running control device of a vehicle performing during an inertia running mode a neutral inertia running mode performed with the power transmission path between the engine and the wheels disconnected while the engine is kept operated, and a cylinder resting inertia running mode performed by resting at least a part of the cylinders of the engine while the power transmission path between the engine and the wheels is connected, the running control device of a vehicle increasing an operation region of performing the neutral inertia running mode in an operation region of performing the inertia running mode when idle learning performed in an idle operation state of the engine is incomplete, as compared to after completion of the idle learning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takuya Hirai, Rentaro Kuroki, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takeaki Suzuki, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9440653
    Abstract: A drive control device for a vehicle including an engine and a clutch device provided in a power transmission path between the engine and a drive wheel includes: a normal traveling unit causing the vehicle to travel while the engine is connected to the drive wheel; a free-run coasting unit disconnecting the engine from the drive wheel during traveling and causing the vehicle to coast while the engine is stopped; a neutral coasting unit disconnecting the engine from the drive wheel during traveling and causing the vehicle to coast while the engine is autonomously operated; and a coasting switching control unit setting an upper limit value of an upward gradient of a road surface, at which the neutral coasting is stopped, such that the upper limit value is larger than an upper limit value of the upward gradient of the road surface, at which the free-run coasting is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeaki Suzuki, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9421977
    Abstract: A running control device is configured to execute an engine coupling running mode performed with an engine and wheels connected by a connecting/disconnecting device, a neutral inertia running mode performed with the engine separated from the wheels by the connecting/disconnecting device while the engine is supplied with fuel and allowed to perform self-sustaining rotation, and a free-run inertia running mode performed with the engine separated from the wheels by the connecting/disconnecting device while fuel supply to the engine is stopped to stop rotation. The neutral inertia running mode is terminated when an operation amount of the accelerator pedal becomes equal to or greater than a predefined first determination value. The free-run inertia running mode is terminated when an operation amount of the accelerator pedal becomes equal to or greater than a predefined second determination value larger than the first determination value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takeaki Suzuki, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9409576
    Abstract: A running control device of a vehicle including an engine, a brake operation member, and a brake booster, is configured to execute an engine brake running mode performed with the engine coupled to wheels and an inertia running mode performed with an engine brake force made lower than that in the engine brake running mode. The running control device executes first and second inertia running modes. The first inertia running mode is terminated when a brake request amount becomes equal to or greater than a predefined first determination value while the first inertia running mode is performed. The second inertia running mode is terminated and a return to the engine brake running mode is made when the brake request amount becomes equal to or greater than a predefined second determination value larger than the first determination value while the second inertia running mode is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Masaki Matsunaga, Takeaki Suzuki, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita, Yasunari Kido
  • Publication number: 20160185240
    Abstract: A power supply apparatus includes a first battery, a second battery, and an ECU configured to determine whether the following conditions i), ii), and iii) are satisfied: i) a degree of deterioration of the second battery is lower than a first threshold; ii) a state-of-charge of the second battery is lower than a second threshold; and iii) the state-of-charge is equal to or higher than a third threshold. The second threshold is higher by a prescribed value than a lowest allowable value of the state-of-charge at which the second battery can function as a backup power supply. The third threshold corresponds to the lowest allowable value. When determining that the conditions i), ii) and iii) are all satisfied, the ECU executes single-battery-using control in which regeneration control using the regenerative electric power is executed with use of the first battery and the second battery is not used for regeneration control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Sunao HORITAKE, Yasuharu TERADA, Hiroshi NATE, Takeaki SUZUKI, Michihiro MIYASHITA, Kazuhito ESHIMA
  • Publication number: 20160167534
    Abstract: A charging apparatus is mounted on a vehicle having a plurality of batteries and a power generating device. The charging apparatus is provided with a controller (i) configured to obtain power accumulation ratios of the plurality of batteries, (ii) configured to determine whether or not each of obtained power accumulation ratios is in an appropriate range corresponding to each of the plurality of batteries, and (iii) configured to control the power generating device so that generated voltage of the power generating device is in an overlap range, if it is determined that power accumulation ratio of one battery of the plurality of batteries is greater than an upper limit of the appropriate range of the one of battery and if the power generating device performs the power regeneration upon deceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeaki SUZUKI, Michihiro MIYASHITA, Kazuhito ESHIMA, Hiroshi NATE, Sunao HORITAKE
  • Patent number: 9267448
    Abstract: A running control device of a vehicle includes an engine with a plurality of cylinders, a clutch connecting/disconnecting a power transmission path between the engine and wheels, a fuel pump transferring fuel toward an injector, and a fuel pressure control device controlling a fuel pressure in a transfer path of the fuel. The running control device of a vehicle performs a neutral inertia running mode performed with the power transmission path between the engine and the wheels disconnected, and a cylinder resting inertia running mode performed by resting at least a part of the cylinders of the engine with the power transmission path between the engine and the wheels connected, the fuel pressure during the neutral inertia running mode being made higher than the fuel pressure during the cylinder resting inertia running mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Rentaro Kuroki, Takuya Hirai, Masaki Mitsuyasu, Jonggap Kim, Masaki Matsunaga, Yasunari Kido, Takeaki Suzuki, Takayuki Kogure, Yukari Okamura, Akihiro Sato, Yusuke Kinoshita
  • Publication number: 20160039370
    Abstract: An electric power supply device includes first and second batteries respectively supplying electric power to a plurality of load instruments mounted on a vehicle, an electric power generator capable of charging the first battery and the second battery by regenerative electric power generation, and control means for controlling the electric power generator so that a charging electric power amount of at least one of the first battery and the second battery based on the regenerative electric power generation is suppressed in a case where at least one of a high-load instrument and a backup target instrument is present among the plurality of load instruments and the electric power generator is performing the regenerative electric power generation during the deceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeaki SUZUKI, Michihiro MIYASHITA, Kazuhito ESHIMA, Hiroshi NATE, Sunao HORITAKE
  • Publication number: 20150340884
    Abstract: Provided is an electric power supply control device for an electric power supply apparatus including a plurality of storage batteries and an electric power generator performing charging of the plurality of storage batteries, the electric power supply control device controlling a parallel connection between the plurality of storage batteries. Voltage adjustment by one of a) charging processing by electric power feeding from the electric power generator to the storage battery having the lowest output voltage among the plurality of storage batteries and b) discharging processing by electric power feeding from the storage battery having the highest output voltage among the plurality of storage batteries to a load circuit connected to the storage battery having the highest output voltage is performed. Parallel connection is performed in a case where output voltage difference between the plurality of storage batteries becomes equal to or less than a previously-determined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeaki SUZUKI, Masaki MATSUNAGA, Kazuhito ESHIMA
  • Publication number: 20150329007
    Abstract: A power supply control device includes: a generator driven by an engine; a lead acid battery and a lithium ion battery connected in parallel to the generator; an SOC detector that detects SOC of the lead acid battery; and a charge controller that controls charging of the lead acid battery. The charge controller performs the charge control based on a regenerative predictive amount estimated according to vehicle state information when the SOC is greater than a threshold SL1. The charge controller performs the charge control irrespective of the regenerative predictive amount when the SOC is less than SL1. When the surplus of charge of the lithium ion battery is larger than a deficient of charge of the lead acid battery, the charge controller performs the charge control based on the regenerative predictive amount, regardless of the SOC being less than SL1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki MATSUNAGA, Kazuhito ESHIMA, Takeaki SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20150307102
    Abstract: A running control device of a vehicle includes an engine, a connecting/disconnecting device separating the engine and wheels, and a transmission transmitting power of the engine toward the wheels, the running control device being configured to execute a normal running-mode performed by using the power of the engine with the engine and the wheels coupled, a free-run inertia running-mode that is performed by separating the engine and the wheels and stopping the engine during running, and a neutral inertia running-mode that is a performed by separating the engine and the wheels and operating the engine in a self-sustaining manner during running, the running control device setting a gear ratio of the transmission on a low vehicle speed side in the case of return from the free-run inertia running-mode to the normal running-mode as compared to the case of return from the neutral inertia running-mode to the normal running-mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki MITSUYASU, Jonggap KIM, Rentaro KUROKI, Takuya HIRAI, Masaki MATSUNAGA, Yasunari KIDO, Takeaki SUZUKI, Takayuki KOGURE, Yukari OKAMURA, Akihiro SATO, Yusuke KINOSHITA
  • Publication number: 20150307103
    Abstract: A running control device of a vehicle includes an engine and a brake booster amplifying a brake force by forming a negative pressure in a negative pressure tank by rotation of the engine. The running control device is configured to execute an engine brake running mode performed with the engine coupled to wheels such that an engine brake is applied by driven rotation of the engine and an inertia running mode performed with an engine brake force made lower than that of the engine brake running mode. The running control device executes a first inertia running mode performed with the rotation of the engine stopped and a second inertia running mode performed with the engine kept rotating as the inertia running mode in accordance with predefined respective execution conditions. The running control device comprises a prediction portion configured to predict a necessity of the negative pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rentaro KUROKI, Takuya HIRAI, Masaki MITSUYASU, Jonggap KIM, Masaki MATSUNAGA, Yasunar i KIDO, Takeaki SUZUKI, Takayuki KOGURE, Yukari OKAMURA, Akihiro SATO, Yusuke KINOSHITA